Phonograph-picture exhibitor



July 24, 1951 A. BUSTANOBY 2,561,971

PHONOGRAPHPICTURE EXHIBITOR Filed May 21, 1949 FIG.1.

zz /f 22 2 /f 5% F16. 3, ATTORNEY J FIG. 2. mvEmon Busmuosv Patented July 24, 1951 f um'rco Andi- Bustanoby, Glencoe, Mo.

Application May 21', 1949, SerialNo. 94,665

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in-picture exhibitor phonograph combinations; and more particularly to a low-cost assembly of elementsfor-use in functional combinationwith a recordplayeror the like, to produce an illusion of motion, concurrently with the playing of sound records of usual or other types.

Incident to an increasing distribution of'musi-- cal and narrative records for children, thereexists a concomitant requirement -for a moving picturization of objects or characters'identified or correlatedwith the themes or subjects whose voices'or sounds are recorded. The'present invention accordingly has the major objective of supplying at'a moderate cost, certain physical facilities for realizing this result.

-The'present invention may be summarized by reference to theelements of a typioa-l-embodi-- mentasincluding acircular disc carrying a circular-row orseries' of figureaso related thatwhen viewed in rapid succession there results a simulation of motion. With'such a disc is utilizedan apertured scanning element on a j ournalling support'th'erefor, if the'scanning element be'rotat ablefalso. a drive: attachment for the scanning element, assuming its rotation, andso arranged that the scanning element is directly'powered" from the'record' or record table oftheplayer.

'Among the many objectives of the present"im-' provements, there may be further noted anembodiment' in a low-cost; light weight accessory or attachmentfor usewith presently available record players; the provision as an'article'of manu fac'ture, of a'sound record of 'disc-typewhich may have'impressed thereon or attachedth'ereto' the aforesaid circular series'of images or figures, to"- gether with a unique scanningor viewing disc" and a drive therefor, all of which are readily andeasily attached to a record player and as quickly and" easily removed therefrom, without special skill and without the requirement of tools.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages will more clearly appear from the following detailed descriptionof a currently pre--' ferred embodiment of the invention, particularly when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 isatop plan view of arecord player and record to which the present improvements are assembled in operative relation;

Fig. 2 is a view in a vertical plane, somewhat enlarged, showing in vertical section certain of theattachment features, and I 3 is-a fragmentary portion of a phonograph record, together with certain of the pictorial characters ofthe' circular or ar'cuate series thereof, resulting upon rotation'of the record-{in thekaleidoscopic images.

Referring now by 'characters of reference to the" drawing, Fig; lrepresents' the'top portion ofa' conventional record" player or phonograph, in

cluding a top 'cabinetportion with the flange sides-f A- formingthe usual shallow; top-open well, centrally of which is rotatably supported the record table T, andabove-which projects vertically-"and axiallyof the table, a center post GP (Fig. 2)'.

Disposed over the tableT and frictionally driven" thereby is arecord R, shown asof disc or planar type,-the soundtrack area of which is pointed'outat ST. The usual instruments will obviously inelude a driving'motor (not shown) for rotatingthe table T at constant predetermined speed; to-- gether with a pick-up-P; a tone arm TA, togetherwith amplifier," speaker" and other equipmentwhich may be-conventional. Since none of the elements thus far described constitutes either of itself, or in the combination as thus'farnoted, any part of the present improvementsapart'from the combination, no detail of description or illus trati'on thereof is regarded asnecessary for completeness;

The record R carries a circular or arcuate series of evenly spaced pictorial representations of some figure or figures identified in some way or correlated with'a character; object or' event depicted by the sound track of the record, Fig; 3

showing a view 'ofsuch' pictorial representationsas indicated at 10'. The pictorial representations in maybe imprintedupon the center disc area'- of the record proper; or alternately, may be im"- pressedupon a separate circular'disc il of'papenf cardboard, sheetplastic or the like which may be adhesively secured in themanner of the'usual center label of 'adisc type record, or'alternately;'-

the disc I i may consist of a separate, usually oil" cular disc of sheet material applied-overthe rec- L ord proper and located thereon through a central" aperture l2'which' receives "the center post CP; thus locating the disc Ilaccuratelywith'respect to the record.

Mounted upon the center post CP is ajournalling support orbushing l3 which is provided with a central bore I4; the upper portion of which is tapped to receive an externally threaded screw plug l5; The-bushingi3is preferablyformed'to present a larger diameter in itslowerportion, as" best shown by" Fig. 2, and is characterizedby-a somewhat reduced part 'lli in its upperportionso that thereresultsat the junction of the upper" reduced section [6 and thelower part, a horizon-'- tal annular shoulder IT. The shoulder H serves as a central support and as a journal portion for an apertured viewing or scanning disc 20, the shoulder I! serving to locate the disc in a plane parallel to but spaced above that of the record R, and the plane of the disc I I, if same be separate, containing the kaleidoscopically related pictures or images.

The scanning disc 20 is a viewing agency as will appear, and is provided with a circular series of viewing apertures shown as, but not necessarily being of circular shape, as indicated at 2 I'. The viewing aperture are each located at substantially the same radial distance from the axis of rotation of the table and record, as are the imthe case may be, the viewing apertures being indicated at 2|.

It is preferred to provide for rotation of the viewing or scanning disc 20, and in a low cost assembly such as that described, the rotative actuation of the viewing disc is easily obtainable from the record R or table T as a power source. Such driving means consists in the presently illustrated example, of a plurality, shown as three, of equallyangularly spaced radial arms 22, each of which is horizontally fitted into a suitable socket in the Journalling support or bushing I3. This connection may be a pres fit as shown, or, optional- 1y. the radial arms may be threaded into the member l3, thus facilitating their detachment for packaging, shipment and storage. Each of the arms 22 serves as a support for a rotatable frictional drive wheel 23, each of which may consist of paired sheet metal discs provided with a peripheral groove for the reception of an annular tire or tread element or the like, indicated at 24, and which may consist of an elastic ring of rubber or similar material. The wheel 23 are retained on arms 22 as by a flattened or otherwise deformed end on each of the arms.

,In a commercial form of the assembly it is desirable to avoid any direct attachment to parts ofthe cabinet or other element of the player, as making for quickness and ease of attachment of the present accessories and their removal, inasmuch as the device is quite efiectively em- 4 along a circular path, this circle being located either radially inside or outside of the circle of Kaleidoscopic images l0 heretofore described. The rotation of the wheels 23 will, now obviously, serve to rotate the disc 20 at the rate of the table and record, but in an opposite direction from that of the record R. Th operator, to receive the illusion of motion, selects any given eye position .above the record player fitted with the attachment, and from such-position, views through the apertures 2| of the scanning or viewing disc a same traverse the line of sight, the successive pictures or images III, the latter being as above l6 ages I0 on the record or the separate disc II as noted, a series of characters or objects depicted by the musical, narrative or other theme of the record.

It will be noted that the spacing between the a image disc in or circular row of images on the several friction wheels 23.

ployed in and for childrens records, although by no meansrestricted to such field of usage. It is of course an incident of the rotation of the center post CP that a turning moment is imparted to the journalling support or bushing I3,

and since such rotation could not be accurately controlled, it has been found advisable to maintain the journalling support stationary. To this end the bushing member i3 is provided with an extended stay-arm 26 which has one of its ends fitted into the journallin bushing l3, conveniently in the same manner as the wheel arms 22. The length of the rod 26 is such that it will abut one of the sides A of the cabinet structure, andthus will serve to prevent rotation of the journalling support, no attachment of the arm to the cabinet being necessary.

The functions of the assembly and the operative relation of the several parts are thought to have become apparent from the foregoing description oi structure, but it may be noted for completeness that, assuming the table T and rec 0rd R to be rotating at the normal predetermined rate, with the playing arm TA and the pickup in place, with the needle engaging the sound groove or track of the record, the frictional engagement of the several tires 24 on wheels 23 with the center area of the record will occur record, and the disc 20, is such as to provide a vertical clearance therebetween as indicated by the numeral 30, which distance is entirely sum-1. cient to accommodate the pickup and tone am); a these traverse the sound-area of the record,, without any physical interference with thedlscl a sufficient frictional driving contact with the ing also that the height of the center post C? will vary somewhat in different record players, render advisable and of considerable adjustment value the use of a member such as the threaded It will now have appeared that, by

and wheels 23 may be raised or lowered to assure their best operating contact with the record as well as with the disc II as the case may be} and at the same time acts to assure satisfactory. operating contact between the wheels 23 and the disc 20. The manner of applying the attach.-

ment to a conventional record playerwill have become obvious, it being merely necessary after applying th record together withdisc II it s'eparate, over the center post and on the table, to lower the assembly including the bushing I3 and the appurtenances together with the scanning disc and stay arm, over the center post, which interfits the lower portion of bore l4 in the manner of a socket. Removal consists merely in liiting this assembly from the center post.

The improvements have been described by detailed reference to the parts and combinations 0! an attachment in the currently preferred form;

suchdetail is to be understood solely in an illus trative, rather than in any restrictive sense, inasmuch as numerous variants are possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appendv .1 claim as my invention:

apertures located on radii from the center post which substantially conform to the radial tances of the selected pictorial units therefrom, a

journallin support for the disc located in the region of the center post, a, plurality of angular-1y, 1 spaced arms carried by the journalling support,

It will have been noted-as desirable to assure that the disc'2ll rests lightlyupon and yet makes This fact, consider A a disc driving wheel carried by each of said arms, each of said wheels engaging the record and further engaging the apertured disc to serve as a drive means for the disc to rotate same in timed relation to the table and the record.

2. A picture exhibitor attachment for a record player of a type adapted to receive upon the record an imprinted sheet provided with a circular series of kaleidoscopically related characters and provided with a central aperture enabling the sheet to be inserted over the center post of a record player, a disc having a circular series of apertures through which may be viewed the characters on the imprinted sheet, a journalling support for the apertured disc, said support having a socket to permit the support to be applied endwise upon the center post of the record player, a series of arms carried by the journalling support, friction wheels on said arms to serve as a drive connection between the table or record of the player, and the apertured disc, and an anchoring device preventing rotation of the journalling support.

3. In a picture exhibitor attachment for a record player, a socket member adapted to be carried by and to be applied over the outer end of the center post of the player, a record table and record adapted to receive on the record a selected pictorial disc having a circular row of kaleidoscopically related characters thereon, and centrally apertured to be inserted over the center post on the record, a plurality of angularly spaced arm carried by the socket member, the socket member having an annular shoulder above said arms adapted to receive in journalling relation a viewing disc, a viewing disc centrally apertured to extend over and be journalled upon the annular shoulder of the socket member, the viewing disc provided with a series of viewing apertures circularly arranged to correspond to the arrangement of characters on the selected pictorial disc, a plurality of drive Wheels of small diameter carried by the radial arms of the socket member, and a stay arm secured to the socket member and adapted to prevent rotation thereof.

1. The combination and arrangement of elements as recited by claim 3, but characterized by the addition of a threaded adjusting screw extended depthwise of the upper end of the socket member and forming an adjustable stop for said member enabling a variation of height of the socket member above the record with which the device is used.

ANDRE BUSTANOBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

